1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector and a method of assembling a connector which is used for connecting electric wires together. More particularly, this invention relates to a connector and a method of assembling a connector which is mounted in a through hole formed in a casing in which a liquid, such as lubricating oil, is circulated, and connects electric wires inside this casing to electric wires outside the casing in a liquid-tight manner.
2. Background
For example, in an automatic transmission (gear) of an automobile, electric wires, connected to solenoids and various sensors mounted inside a transmission casing so as to control the transmission, are connected respectively to electric wires of a control unit or the like, provided outside the transmission casing, through a connector mounted in a through hole formed in the transmission casing.
However, oil for lubricating the transmission is filled in the transmission casing, and therefore the connector is required to connect the electric wires inside the transmission casing to the electric wires outside the transmission casing while preventing the oil in the transmission casing from leaking to the exterior.
Therefore, a connector as shown in FIG. 3 has heretofore been used. In this connector 1, an inner plate 4 of an insulative resin is mounted on connection terminals 3 fixedly connected respectively to distal ends of electric wires 2 to be mounted inside a transmission casing. The electric wires 2, the connection terminals 3 and the inner plate 4 are inserted into a housing 5 through a left inlet 5a (FIG. 3) thereof, and then a rubber plug 6, mounted on the electric wires 2, is fitted into a right inlet 5b (FIG. 3) of the housing 5.
Then, an epoxy resin solution is poured into a space 7 within the housing 5 through a through hole (not shown) formed through the inner plate 4. Then, the epoxy resin is heated and set or cured, thereby sealing the space 7 liquid-tight by the cured epoxy resin.
When the connector 1 is mounted in a through hole formed in a transmission casing, an O-ring 8, mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the housing 5, forms a liquid-tight seal between the transmission casing and the housing 5, and the cured epoxy resin seals the space 7 within the housing 5 in a liquid-tight manner, and therefore oil within the transmission casing will not leak to the exterior.
Then, when a mating connector (not shown) is connected to this connector 1, solenoids and so on, mounted inside the transmission, are connected to a control unit or the like provided outside the transmission casing.
In the above conventional connector 1, however, the epoxy resin solution is poured into the housing 5, and therefore the rubber plug 6 for preventing the epoxy resin solution from leaking to the exterior of the housing 5 is needed. Therefore, the number of the component parts is increased, and hence the cost is increased, and besides much time and labor are required for the assembling operation, thus inviting problems that the cost is increased and that the productivity is lowered.
And besides, when pouring the epoxy resin into the housing 5, the epoxy resin solution may adhere to the connection terminals 3 and the amount of the poured epoxy resin solution may become insufficient.
Further, much time is required for heating and setting the epoxy resin. Furthermore, if the epoxy resin adheres to the hand of the operator, it may causes a rash.